Transcript for Real Estate Confidential: Home Prices Too Good to Be True

The sale of homes is now a strong part of the economic recovery in this country but as it is -- senior national correspondent Jim model report. Some homeowners are in for a shock. The seller doesn't tell them they're buying a house that can make them sick. Bob the American dream this house the first place that we could really call home together. When -- -- instantly saw starter home for sale for only 35000. Dollars they jumped at the chance. It's -- America -- was paying the as a group agreed it was a foreclosure advertised as it is. But after weeks of sanding priming plumbing and pain that had -- -- I was getting -- now. Nose bleeds headaches could it be their dream house was actually making them sick turns out the little starter had a secret past. It was once used as a -- did all those dangerous chemicals had seeped into the floors and ceiling. So toxic we had to put on Hazmat suits just to go win. It's horrifying it's like -- Homebuyers might. They've taken say they should have been warned that the seller Freddie Mac should have -- that Beth residue to require a warning. Like lead paint in asbestos it turns out most home inspections don't include testing for met residue. Freddie -- that ABC this statement we empathize with a hate him but neither we nor the listing agent had prior information about the home's history but the police knew they had arrested the previous owner -- -- numerous. If they had come to us. We would have -- Experts estimate their two and a half million homes contaminated by met in the United States. To make sure you're not buying one have your home inspectors do the special test for toxins and asked the local police if the home was ever involved in drug activity. As for the hankins. 62000 dollar question is we've ever buy another house. That it'll be a long time. December. Jim Avila ABC news Bend, --

This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.

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